27 June 2011

The Uncle Sam's Claypot

Crowded lunch time spot for the shenton drones. Grouchy serving ladies who respond better in kind rather than with kindness. The thai boneless chicken claypot rice was missing the quintissential lap cheong and salted fish, though their house special "normal" boneless chicken one had the former. The price is as expected for an air-conditioned restaurant within CBD, but don't expect to attend a meeting after all the claypot smell. I'd still prefer my Geylang Lor 33 one anytime!

The Uncle Sam's Claypot
Afro-asia Bldg, 63 Robinson Road, 068894
Contact: 6221 3098

Open Daily 11am-3am

25 June 2011

The Beaver

Clarice & Braveheart team up with a rodent to deliver a stark, truthful black comedy about Mental Disease and its effects on a person and the family. Mel Gibson gives a powerful, and one of his best, performance as a man battling depression and his need for help, teethering on the verge of losing everything. The B-plot weighs the rest of the show down, and is only tolerable because of the 2 rising stars: Anton Yelchin and Jennifer Lawrence. Jodie Foster is her usual brillant self but as a director she does not stand out.

Papa Palheta

A coffee lover's haunt for a seriously good cuppa. Unassuming and unpretentious small place with outdoors siting or a homely-furnished a/c indoor. Just sit, chill and enjoy that very solid cup of kopi with unobstrusive music. If only Singapore has better weather (and an absolute no smoking policy) the outdoors siting would be perfect. Btw, you pay what you think your coffee is worth. Just dropped the cash into the (whatever)bowl. Be fair and enjoy!


Papa Palheta
140 Bukit Timah Road, 229840
Contact: 9799 0420

Tue-Fri 9am-6pm; Weekends 9am-7:30pm


24 June 2011

Insidious

Kudos to the original "Saw" duo: James Wan & Leigh Whannell for creating an excellent atypical old-school horror movie! With a screen palette reminiscence of "Saw" itself and a soundtrack that winds the tension up, they have created an atmospheric horror flick with genuine scares rarely seen in Hollywood these days. This show is what "Drag Me To Hell" wished it could had been!!! Stay till after the end credits!

Super 8 (IMAX)

J J Abrams' hommage to Spielberg's ET & Close Encounter...but only for like the first third of the movie. This Cloverfield schtick is seriously gonna get old, and I think Abrams felt it towards the end too...then it becames War of the World part deux. The real star of the show is Michael Giacchino's wonderful scoring of the movie, and Elle continues the Fanning sisters' rise to Hollywood royalty.

Jane Eyre

One of the best love stories in the English Literature brought beautifully to the screen by Fukunaga through the subtly intensive and riveting performance of Mia Wasikowska coupled with Michael Fassbender's brooding Mr Rochester. Judi Dench and Jamie Bell rounds out the excellent ensemble, and Dario Marianelli provides an haunting score. Glad I managed to catch it in the end!

Green Lantern (Digital)

Entertaining enough to not feel like an absolute waste of 2 hours, all thanks to Ryan Reynold's innate charisma. Not the best special effects, cheesy dialogues, plot holes, illogical logic leaps, an anti-climatic final fight scene and zero chemistry between Ryan and Blake Lively (gosh! I really can't stand her). He should stick to being Deadpool!! Now...hope that one wouldn't suck. Stay on for a potential sequel!

Transformers: Rise of the Beast

A fun, mindless summer popcorn, CGI-heavy, action-packed studio flick that sufficiently entertained without requiring too much, or any, thin...